Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-08-06
SpliG0g, the Redskfn.
A MILLIONAIRE INDIAN WHO d BUILDING wIsT1RN

RAILROAD.
Matthias splitlog Is full blooded Wyandotte In
dian, and was born in an Indian village In Canada,
and shortly afterward moved to Ohio. While boy
he was apprenticed to a carpenter and miliwright,
and. although his wages were only 81 per month,
young spitlog thought he was getting rich. Split
logs first venture was to build steamboat, which
he didin company with his brother. They launched
the boat upon the St. Clair River and started In
OF the boys and con1scated the boat on the charge
OF smuggling. OF his subsequent career, unique
IN American commercial history, Neosho CORE
follows:
I'm 1912 the wyandottes, who were the last Of
the upper sandusky G ceded to tie United States
their lands In that State, and receivedtn exchange
land In what is now Wyandotte County, Kansas.
and found, after his arrival at West Port Landing,
now Kansas City, that he only had so cents In his
aeinduced an Indian to security dor
lor the steamboats, at the of 5 cents per cord
and after paying for the AK which cost S. he soon
we md him with a herd Of horses About
800 spntlog was married to the grand
fns enter Of the old man who vent security for
10 build a mill. At this time he had no money to
pay lor labor, so he did the work himself: He Sc:
then had raising" that is. had his neighbors
come come and help him raise the building He I'm.
bu 'nF beas himself Mna with t but 6ne
500, and splitlog mad no money; still he was
determined en- not TO give up the idea Of run
Doat, which was unloading pair OF burrs at the
LANDING accidentally let them fall overheard,
ana they sank to the bottom Of the Missouri River
owner to pay him SIS for the burrs and
take tax them up himself. which he eventually
and having got the Surrs out ana Of fe river
took but short time to get ready to start the mill
IN, Inc machinery was rugged for morse power, and
fNrY of nrf I'd In nod In
unDroken horses from his herd and earned IS cents
IN casa, and in the evening he gave this money to
n nss wiie ana told her to 60 TO NorthrupsSpnt-
Them something to eat, as he now had that much
money that he did not need.
him one OF the leading men OF his tribe BY the
treaty OF the Upper Sandusky the Wyandotres
We're not allowed to ALLEVIATE their lands, but in
the Wyandottes and the United States, which
severed Che tribal relations Of the Wyan-
aoItes After the adoption Of this treaty
and, although he can neither read nor write, he
mas been one Of the most successful SPECTATORS
worth over million dollars. About fourteen
years ago SplitlOg moved to Indian Territory and
located on Elk River, near the Missouri line, and
became interested in silver mine in Mcdonald
County, Missouri; With his characters
lie sqRsr Ts he began nne ssss4 at named
B. F. Requa, from Chicago, to superintend the
operations at the mines and, becoming convinced
mat TO develop the mines and build up the town
OF Spl1tlOg railroad was necessary, he, together
With his partner in the mines, Moses w. Clay,
commenced negotiating with the projectors OF the
New orleans, NatcheZ and Fort Scott Railroad
CO., and soon that company was formed for
the purpose OF building railroad be-
tween the terminal points named in
lts title and running by way OF Neosho and Sptlog
CITY This company, being too slow to meet the Wig
orous ideas OF Splitog and Clay they severed their
connection with the same, and Matthias SplitlOg
Moses w. Clay, George Hubert and Others orga-
nlzeu the Kansas City, Fort Smith and Southern
Railroad Co., with capital OF $780,
railroad from Kansas city to Fort Smith, pass
Ing through Spl1tlog City and NeOsho This road
Is now graded for about 80 miles between Spltlog
City and Joplin, and it is only question OF few
months when the cars will run southwark from
Joplin to Fort Smith, and Matthias Splitlog, the
millionaire Indian, who is probably the richest
man OF his race, will be known all over the coun-
try as the only Indian railroad man in the United
States
MIR. Splitlog has five children-four boys and one
glrl-and now lives at Splitlog City, Mcdonald
county, Mo. He Is, like most men OF his race, very
tac1turn in his habits, seldom speaking in more
than he is far from being disa-
greeable, because he can make himself clearly
understood in a very few words, and Is good
listener and quick to catch point In the discus
sion OF any question; and when he determines
what course TO pursue he begins at once in the
execution OF his plans, and never ceases until he
has accomplished his ends.